Why the next 10 days will decide Manchester City’s season

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini faces a massive few days (Picture: Getty Images)

It hasn’t been a good month for Manchester City so far.

Successive defeats have dented not only their confidence but their title hopes too, and having had to contend with a seemingly endless injury list the squad appears fatigued and shorn of options.

Manuel Pellegrini proclaimed in the wake of the defeat at home to Tottenham, their second in succession in the Premier League, that his side would continue fighting but you wonder quite how much there is left to give.

It was only a few weeks ago that matters looked far brighter. Very much involved in all four competitions they looked primed to find their gear and embark on the sort of sustained run of results that they have been known for during the past few seasons.

That of course has yet to happen (and there are but a few signs that this is set to happen) but for all the negativity of late it shouldn’t be forgotten that City are still contesting on all four fronts and just prior to their twin defeats in the league they progressed through both in the Capital One Cup and FA Cup.

And with mid-late February signalling the start of the final stretch of the season City know they have little time to sit around and feel sorry for themselves with the reality very much being that their 2015/16 season is about to be shaped.

Heading into 2016 with the prospect of four trophies still on offer, to end the season empty handed would be a disappointing blow for all concerned, not least Manuel Pellegrini who is now in the final days of his time at the helm and in need of a trophy or two to define his legacy before Pep Guardiola rides into town.

Manchester City lost a vital match to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend (Picture: Getty Images)

To achieve this Pellegrini first faces a crucial 10 days, perhaps the most crucial of his tenure as City play four times across four competitions, each one providing a very different but equally stern test.

First up sees City travel to Chelsea in round five of the FA Cup this coming Sunday. Way out of Premier League contention this will be a competition Chelsea will target to rescue a disappointing season and have shown signs of life under Guus Hiddink.

City go into the game with an eye already on the following Wednesday and a trip to Kiev for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash with Dinamo. Successive exits at this stage have been disappointing and having avoided one of the big guns the expectation is they should progress though. This may compromise their hopes against Chelsea, which could mean one of the four competitions has gone.

After a long trip back from Kiev they will have little time for rest as they head to Wembley to face Liverpool in the Capital One Cup. This presents the best opportunity for a trophy but Liverpool will be rested (with no FA Cup commitment) and desperate to land a trophy for Jurgen Klopp. Both sides will go into the game with the memory of Liverpool’s destruction of City still in their minds.

Just three days after the Cup Final comes a trip to Anfield, to again face Liverpool but this time in the Premier League. This will be a game where City arrive potentially nine points adrift and with time fast running out.

For a club of City’s stature and expectation levels this time of the season is when games take on a critical air. The outcome of the next 10 days are not only hugely significant individually, but collectively will determine the course of City’s season.

There is little time therefore to dwell on recent disappointments as there is the danger that if they do so their season could be in tatters in the blink of an eye.